Universal tobacco tier



Sept. 15, 1959 J. w. POYTHRESS 2,904,193

v UNIVERSAL TOBACCO TIER Filed Dec. 9, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 N INVENTOR.

MIX/16 d fl/w & m.

ATTCIRNEYS J. w. POYTHRESS UNIVERSAL TOBACCO TIER Sept. 15, 1959 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 9, 1955 ATI'D R N EYS Sept. .15, 1959 J. w. PQYTHRESS 2,904,193

UNIVERSAL TOBACCO TIER Filed Dec. 9, 1955 I 3 sheets-siet 3 ATTD RN EYE "positioned upon rafters, rails, or the like.

U fiEd- UNIVERSAL TOBACCO TIER Jamesv W. Poy-thress, Church Road, Va., assignor to .R. lLBouligny, Inc., Charlotte, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Application December 9, 1955, Serial No. 552,027 8 Claims. (Cl. 214-55 This invention relates to tobacco harvesting machinery and equipment particularly of the type adapted to travel -may be suspended, a string feeder for supplying string for forming loops whereby an operator positioned in the seat is adapted to form a loop tieing leaves together to form a bundle or hand with one hand, and a con- -veyor for distributing the'hands of tobacco along support- -ing means so that they may be. picked up by the bar. The purpose of this invention is to provide means for tieing leaves or hands of tobacco whereby the hands are adapted to be suspended from 'a stick in which "a string :is'heldso that the handsmay'be tied with one hand.

In curing tobacco leaves of tobacco are tied in hands and the hands suspended from sticks, and the sticks with thetobacco suspended therefrom are carried to barns and In this process the hands are tied with a string and the tieing operation-requires the use of both hands of the operator so that it -is necessary to first pick the leaves, tie the -.leaves together with aloop to form a hand and then place the hand upon a bar. It'is also necessary to work the hands along the bar until they are evenly distributed thereon. By this means considerable time is required as each operation, including pickingthe leaves, looping the string to tie the leaves to form a hand, and placing the leaves o]: hand upon .a stick mustbe independently completed.

With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a tobacco "harvesting machine including awpower driven platform mounted onwheels, a bar supporting structure extended upwardly above the platform, a conveyor positioned to distribute the hands of tobacco for positioning on the bar, a friction holder for a string to facilitate tieing ahand of tobacco with one hand, a seat for an operator and foot actuated steering elements positioned on the platform and operatively connected to a -front wheel thereof.

.Thebbjectof this invention is, therefore, to provide a tobacco harvesting machine that is adapted totravel along a row wherein leaves picked fromstalks are adaptedtoibe tied with one hand and disposed for positioning ,upon a .bar suitable for supporting a plurality of hands of tobacco in a warehouse or the like for curing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tobacco tieing machine adapted to -be operated by one man with the :machine .steered along a .row of tobacco with the .feet of-theoperator and with hands of tobacco picked from stalks, tied and positioned .upon a conveyor with one hand as the otherhand-is used for picking additional leaves of tobacco.

' A further object of the invention is to provide an ates PatcntO improved machine for picking and tieing leaves of tobacco I 2,904,193 Patented Sept. 15, .1959

whereby the leaves are placed directly on a conveyor for positioning on a bar for curing in which the machine is of a simple andeconomical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a platform mounted on wheels with a longitudinally disposed .endless chain providing a conveyor extended longitudinally of 'the platform, with a seat and treadle for an operator positioned on theplatform andwi-th friction means for retaining a :stn'ngwhereby leaves of tobacco are adapted to be't-ied with one hand and positioned upon an arm andwherein thema- -chine is adapted to carry a plurality of bars with hands oftobac'co thereon to an enclosure for curing.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

- -.Figure -l is aside elevational view illustrating theim- "gproved tobacco harvesting machine with 'parts :broken Figure 41is a sectional plan through transmission elements of the machine taken on rum- 4 :OffFig. 1

Figure 5 is a sectional plan through one Eendwf tlie nconveyor mounting taken on line 55 of Fig.' l.

.-Figure:;6 is a sectional plan showingpart of the steerting.elements withrthelparts' shownon an enlarged sca'le s'aid -secti0n:being taken on line"'66 of Fig. 1.-

- *IFigure 7'1is a crosssection through the treadlennou-nt- .ing iGlemHtTt3k6lllGn line 77 of Fig. 1, the parts being showmon an enlarged *broken away;

scale :and parts thereof being Figure- 8 is a sectional plan taken 'substa'ntiallyon the line :6-'-6 of Fig. :1, being. 'similar'to lFig. '6' sho'wing a resilient element for controlling the position-ofthe string tremg arm that makes it possible eto ttie leaves of tobacco together to :form a hand with one hand.

Figure 9 is a .sectionalplan similarto that shown in Fig; 8 showing the string :cdntrol :arm actuated to the opposite side of Ethemachine.

\ Figure v10'is ?a plan view :of "the 1 string retaining "arm showing thebeginning of ca loop used in tieing the string around -a-plurality of leaves of tobacco-to form a hand.

:Figure Ell shows :the second stage in the loop forming ope'ration wherein the string is wrapped around stems of the leaves. I

Figure' l2wshows =theinext *stage in which the string is looped over to form *a knot.

Figure d3 is :a =view similar to that shown in Fig. 12 showing the fin'al stage of securing one hand and also showing the T-beginning of the operation of tii'ng another hand. a

Figure '-14"'isa:plan view illustrating the method of con- -veying "hands formed bythe tieing operation on' a conveyor *chain by which "the hands "are distributed for sitidning on afbar.

'1' Figure -15 is 'a front elevational View showin'g fr'iction gripping elements for controlling the travel of a string informing'the knot.

Figure 'flo is a 'side jelevationa'l view or the friction igure 1'17 -,is a Lside elevational .view,.similar.to that shown in Ila .showing .enginqmounted won -,the .extendedendof 1a platform-with'a shandle having controls the reon whereby the deviceamay i'be operatedqfrom a point behindthe.platform. i I Figure .18 .is .a view showing,another modification wherein the ball of cord is positioned in a can and the j 3 cord or string passes through an opening in the bottom of the can.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved universal tobacco tier of this invention includes a platform having wheels 11 and 12 mounted on an axle 13 at the rear or trailing end, a wheel 14 mounted in a yoke 15 at the lower end of a king pin or vertically disposed shaft 16, which is rotatably mounted in a sleeve 17, and a conveyor 18 for distributing hands 19 of tobacco leaves 20 for positioning on bars, such as the bar 21.

The platform is provided with a seat 22 that is mounted with a spring 23 and the seat is positioned whereby pedals 24 and 25 are adapted to receive the feet of an operator on the seat. The padals are positioned on the ends of a bar 26 that is pivotally mounted with a bolt 27 on a bracket 28 which is secured to a tubular post 29 with bolts 30 that extend through a base or foot 31 of the bracket.

The bar 26 is adapted to pivot about the bolt 27 and one side thereof is connected to an arm 32 extended from the shaft 16 as shown in Fig. 3, with a telescoping rod 33 that is adjustably held in a sleeve 34 with a set screw 35. The sleeve 34 is provided with a bifurcated end providing a yoke 36 that extends over the bar 26 and that is pivotally connected to the bar with a bolt 37. The opposite end of the telescoping rod 34 is provided with a similar yoke 38 that extends over the extended end of the arm 32 and the yoke is secured to the arm 32 with a bolt 39.

With the feet of an operator positioned on the seat 22 located on the treadles 24 and 25 the forward wheel 14 may readily be turned with the shaft 16 turning in the sleeve 17, to steer the vehicle. A hub 40 at the base of the arm 32 is secured to the shaft 16 with a pin 41. The bracket 28 on which the bar 26 which carries the treadles 24 and 25 is mounted by a bolt 27 is provided with spaced openings 42 to provide adjustment in the mounting of the treadles and these openings in combination with the telescoping rod 33 provide means for adjusting the treadles to correspond with the length of the legs of the operator.

The platform 10 is provided with a horizontal section at the rear and an elevated section 43, the forward end of the platform 10 being inclined upwardly from a point 44 to a point 45 from which the section 43 extends.

The forward end of the platform is provided with posts 46 and 47, the upper ends of which are connected with a cross rail 48 and the upper ends of the posts are provided with inclined support bars 49 and 50 upon which the tobacco retaining bars 21 are positioned as shown in Fig. 12.

The posts 46 and 47 are also connected with a cross bar 51 on which L-shaped brackets 52 and 53 are posit ioned and the head shaft 54 of the conveyor 18 is rotatably mounted in upwardly extended legs of the brackets. A sprocket 55 is mounted on the head shaft 54 and a similar sprocket 56 is mounted on a shaft 57 at the opposite end of the conveyor. The shaft 57 is mounted in arms 58 and 59 of a bracket positioned on the upper end of a telescoping rod 60 extended from the sleeve 29 mounted on a transversely disposed channel bar 61 of the paltform 10. The rod 60 is retained in adjusted positions with a set screw 62.

The bracket formed with the side bars 58 and 59 is provided with a socket 63 in which a rod 64 is positioned and a T-bar or arm 65 positioned on the upper end of the rod 64 provides temporary holding means for hands 'of tobacco, as illustrated in Fig. 14 and also provides means for assisting an operator to twist the string around the stems of the leaves of a hand of tobacco, as illustrated in Figs. 10 to 13 inclusive.

The arm 65 is provided with a head 66 and the bar is retained in adjusted positions on the upper end of the rod 64 with a set screw 67 that is threaded in a hub 68 on the under surface of the arm 65. The rod 64 is also provided with a set collar 69 that is positioned below the bracket formed with the side bars 58 and 59. The lower end of the rod 64 is provided with a flat section 70 which, as illustrated in Figs. 6, 8 and 9 is positioned between spring arms 70 and 72 which are connected by a hinge 73. A coil spring 74 is extended across the ends of the arms with one end 75 connected to the arm 71 and the opposite end 76 connected to the arm 72 and with the section 70 resiliently held in this manner the T-shaped head 66 is adapted to be moved from side to side as a knot is tied.

A string 77 is fed from a ball or cone 78 through a slot 79 in a plate 80 on a post 81 depending from an upper cross member 82 of the frame, and from the slot 79 the string extends under a shoe 83 resiliently held by a spring 84 and from the shoe the string extends through a slot 85 behind the intermediate portion of the plate 80 and through a slot 86 under a spring 87, similar to the spring 84 and from the spring 87 the string extends through a tube 88 and hangs from an opening 89 in the lower end of the tube. Tension of the springs 85 and 87 is adjusted by thumb screws 90 and 91 in brackets 92 and 93 extended from the plate 80 whereby the tension required to pull the string through the friction holding elements is adjustable so that a relatively tight knot may be tied around the stems of the leaves of tobacco in the hands.

The conveyor chain 18 is driven from the ground engaging or traction wheel '14 with a flexible shaft 94 that extends through a sheaf 95 and, as illustrated in Fig. 14 the lower end of the shaft 94 is provided with a beveled gear 97 that meshes with a similar gear 98 on a shaft 99 on which the wheel 14 is mounted and the upper end of the flexible shaft is provided with a beveled pinion 100 that meshes with a beveled gear 101 on a hub 102 of the sprocket 55, the sprocket being mounted on the shaft 54 which is rotatably mounted in bearings 103 and 104 in the vertically disposed sections of the clip angles 52 and 53. The ends of the shaft 54 are provided with set collars 1105 and 106 and the clip angles are secured to the cross bar 51 with bolts 107 and 108 extended through the bases 109 and 1-10 of the clip angles. The rods 111 and 112 extend from the rear face of the cross bar 51.

The upper end of the shaft 94 is mounted in a bearing 113 in a bracket 114 and the shaft is retained in position with a set collar 115.

By this means the conveyor chain is driven through the flexible shaft 94 from the traction wheel 114 and with the wheel '14 mounted in the yoke -15 at the lower end of the shaft 16 the shaft is adapted to be rotated to turn the wheel for steering with the feet of the operator positioned in the treadles 24 and 25 of the bars 26. The shaft or stem 16 is retained in position with a set collar 116, and the post or sleeves 17 of the steering wheel is supported in an upright position with a brace 117, as shown in Fig. 1.

The conveyor chain 18 is provided with cleats or projections 118 by which the hands of tobacco are carried 7 from the arm 65 of the T-shaped member forwardly to .as illustrated in Fig. la a chain 124 trained over a sprocket on the motor shaft 125 and a sprocket 126 on the shaft or rear axle .13 provides means for driving the machine by the motor.

The rear portion of the platform is also provided with vertically disposed posts 127 which provide supporting. means for rear ends of tubular rails 128 and 129 in which rods 130 and .131 are slidably mounted, the rods being retained in position with set screws 132. and (133.

The cross member 82 from which the member 81 depends is carried by the rails 1128 and 129 and the rails are also provided with depending bars or hangers .134 from which supporting bars 1135, similar to the bars 50 extend for supporting ends of the tobacco hand carrying bars 21, and the rods 130 and 13d are also provided with depending sections 136 from which rods 137, which are also similar to the bars 50, extend.

In the design illustrated in Fig. 17 the device is provided with a platform 13%, the rear end of which is mounted on wheels 139 on an axle 140 and the device is operated by a motor i141 mounted on an extension 142 at the trailingendof the platform.

The frame is provided with vertically disposed posts 143 on the upper ends of which tubular siderails 144 similar to the rails 128 and .129, are positioned and the posts "143 are provided with rods or arms 145 similar to the bars 56 on which the bars 21 for holding hands of tobacco are positioned.

The platform is also provided with a seat 146 and the device is adapted to be operated from the rear with the operator gripping handles 147 and operating the parts with levers 1148 and 149.

In the design illustrated in Fig. 18 a can or other container 150 for a ball of twine 151 is provided with an opening 152 through which a string or twine is threaded and the can 150 is secured to a post, such as the post 143 by a bolt .153 and a nut 154. In this design the post is indicated by the numeral .155, however, it Will be understood that the can may be attached to one of" the posts 1127 or to other parts of the frame of the ma-; chine.

Operation With an operator positioned on the seat 22 and with his feet on the treadles 24 and 25 the engine of the machine is started and as the machine travels between rows of tobacco the operator picks leaves from stalks and, holding the bundle of leaves in one hand, grips the end of the string with the other and by moving the parts through the cycle of operations as illustrated in Figs. 10, ll, 12 and 13, loops the string around the ends of the leaves whereby the string holds the hands of tobacco against one side of the member 65. In this movement a hand 19 of tobacco, held in the right hand of the operator is moved from the position A, shown in Fig. In, to the left around the tube 81 in the direction of the arrow 156, shown in Fig. 11, passing through the position B to the position C, moving the arm 65 to the broken line position 157. From the position C the movement of the hand continues to position D, in Fig. 12, and as the hand of the right hand of the operator arrives at this position, a similar hand E is started by the left hand of the operator, and the hand is moved from the position shown at E in Fig. 12, around in the direction of the arrow 158, to the position shown at F in Fig. 13. Upon the arrival of the hand of the left hand of the operator at the position F another hand G is started by the right hand, as shown in Fig. 13. As the machine progresses similar bundles of leaves held by first one hand and then the other hand are positioned whereby the string is wrapped around the ends of the stems and as loops are formed hands formed thereby are held by the string against the opposite sides of the accumulator arm 65 and chain 18 as shown particularly in Figs. 12 and 13.

With continued movement of the machine hands of tobacco are secured by the string on opposite sides of the member 65, as illustrated in Fig. 14 and with the member 65 substantially filled with hands of tobacco the cleats 118 of the chain 18 pick off the hands moving the hands along the chain also as illustrated in Fig. 14, until the chain is filled with spaced hands.

With the hands suspended from opposite sides of the chain a bar 21 is inserted below the chain and between the hands of tobacco on opposite sides of the chain whereby the bar is adapted to be moved to one side and upwardly picking up the hands from the chain and by breaking the string of the last hand and tieing the end of the string the hands of tobacco may be suspended from the bars 50, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The hands are removed from the storage racks or bars at the sides of the machine and carried to barns or curing houses.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for tying tobacco leaves in hands to be mounted on tobacco sticks, the combination comprising support means, means on said support means for restraining longitudinal movement of a length of string and permitting movement of the string therefrom under tension, means carried by said support means below said string restraining means for aiding in the manual looping of the tensioned string about successive bunches of tobacco leaves to form successive hands interconnected in series and for supporting adjacent hands so formed in spaced relation with the string therebetween tensioned, said means including a member having transversely spaced surfaces for engagement by successive hands to thereby maintain the same in transversely spaced relation with the string interconnecting them tensioned and for permitting longitudinal movement of successive hands toward one end of said member, said member and said string restraining means being mounted on said support means for relative movement with respect to each other between a first position wherein said surfaces on said member are disposed on one side and a second position wherein said surfaces are disposed on the opposite side of said spring restraining means, and means for removing successive hands from the one end of said member and moving them to a stick receiving position.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said member is pivoted about a substantially vertical axis spaced longitudinally from said string restraining means.

3. The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein said member has spring means operatively connected therewith for resiliently urging the same into a third position intermediate said first and second positions and for yieldingly resisting movement of said member into said first and second positions.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means comprises an endless conveyor including longitudinally spaced sprocket wheels journaled on said support means for rotation about transverse horizontal axes and a chain trained about said sprocket wheels, said chain having a series of spaced lugs thereon for engaging the string extending between successive series interconnected hands.

5. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said support means comprises a wheeled frame having a seat for an operator disposed in a position thereon relative to said string restraining means to permit the operator to reach the string to eifect the manual looping of the string about the bunches of tobacco leaves.

6. The combination as defined in claim 5 wherein said frame includes steerable wheel means and means adjacent said seat for engagement by the feet of the operator to effect steering of said steerable wheel means.

7. A method of forming successive series interconnected tobacco hands and supporting the same on a tobacco stick which comprises restraining a supply of string at a position thereon spaced from the free end thereof and tensioning at least a portion of the string extending from the position of restraint; grasping successive groups of tobacco leaves with the stem ends commonly aligned; moving one group of stem ends into contact with the tensioned portion of the string and around the position of restraint on the string in contact therewith and each successive group of stem ends into contact with the tensioned portion of the string, extending from the position of restraint thereon to the preceding group of stem ends, and around the position of restraint on the string in contact therewith, while maintaining the preceding groups of stem ends in spaced relation therefrom and the string between adjacent groups tensioned so as to loop each successive group of stem ends in series interconnected hands; and transferring the series of interconnected hands onto a tobacco stick while maintaining the spaced relation between successive hands and the tension in the string between successive hands.

8. A method of forming successive series interconnected tobacco hands and supporting the same on a tobacco stick which comprises restraining a supply of string at a position thereon spaced from the free end thereof and tensioning at least a portion of the string extending from the position of restraint, grasping successive groups of tobacco leaves with the stem ends commonly aligned, moving one group of stem ends into contact with the tensioned portion of the string and around the position of restraint on the string in contact therewith and each successive group of stem ends into contact with the tensioned portion of the string extending from the position of restraint thereon to the preceding group of stem ends and around the position of restraint on the string in contact therewith while maintaining the preceding groups of stem ends in spaced relation therefrom and the string between adjacent groups tensioned so as to loop each successive group of stem ends in series interconnected hands, moving the series of interconnected hands into a stick transferring position while maintaining the spaced relation between successive hands and the tension in the string between successive hands and then transferring the series of interconnected hands onto a tobacco stick at said stick transferring position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,538,698 McNeill Jan. 16, 1951 2,715,968 Davis et a1 Aug. 23, 1955 2,786,585 Davis et a1 Mar. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 918,314 France Aug. 10, 1945 

